A little Romance, a little humor, a twist of Twilight Zone and a splash of vampires, Elise Skidmore's stories deliver rich tales of a wide range of memorable characters, served up in bite sized pieces. Don't have time to read a novel? Snack on these delightfully unpredictable tales!Johnny Toad woke up with his head pounding and his mouth tasting like chalk. The realization hit him that he was lying spread-eagle on his stomach, clinging to something smooth and shiny about three feet above the ground. As he lifted his head to see where he was, Johnny found himself lying on top of a juice vending machine that had toppled over onto its side. And he was stark naked. Worse than that, he could feel his privates resting snugly in the slot that dispensed the juice. His aching head slammed back down on the machine. What the hell had happened? excerpt from Johnny Come LatelyMy name is Edmund Howard, both names derived from the old English; Edmund meaning "happy defender" and Howard, "chief guardian," both of which are invested with an irony that will become clear later on. I became what I am on a battlefield in the south of England long centuries ago. The exact date is unimportant; let it suffice to say Henry VIII had not yet begun collecting wives and be done with it. The details can be filled in with human imaginations; one tale of conversion is much like another.Anne Rice based all of her vampires on me. She took certain liberties, not the least of which was turning me into a Frenchman, but Louis, Lestat, Armand and the others were all parts of me. I was the vampire she interviewed and most of what she turned into her literary legacy has happened to me at one time, in one form or another-with the notable exception of Lestat's adventure with the Body Thief. I could never be so stupid as to fall for a trick like that one. Still, writers are expected to fabricate tales to enthrall their audience, and at least she stayed truthful on the salient bits, unlike some others I could name. While I have been able to see the sun without burning to ashes, I'm an exception, rather than the rule, and on those occasions my skin did not sparkle as if I'd been brushed with fairy dust. I am most assuredly a creature of the night, existing in the world of dark and shadows. After so many centuries, I can go for long periods of time without feeding or taking rest, but again, I am the exception which proves the rule. excerpt from Edmund's Story

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